There’s more than one way to the top of the mountain…
Most people complete, and actively use, a detailed written plan to guide their aspirations, objectives and indeed performance, over a period of time. Of course, there is value in this approach, but I’ve often wondered how many people there are that are like me, that are left a bit cold by the process, feeling hamstrung by the words that appear and not really energized at all. Consequently, I have my own set of intuitive ‘internal measurements’ which I will try and explain in the course of this short piece.
Whilst objective setting and the capture of routine tracking and performance measurement data is necessary, it has never completely resonated with me as an all-encompassing approach. For me personally, I feel that this approach is one dimensional and lacks ‘feeling’. It misses a couple of characteristics which I consider critical engagement and future success; Intuition which can drive evaluation, decision making, performance, success and therefore ultimately how fulfilled one might feel at achieving something and charisma; the characteristic that shows up in presence, influencing, engagement and making things happen. Let’s look at intuition.
To have any affinity towards X, Y, Z objectives I also need to feel it to buy into it, to help me perform well in pursuit of that objectives and feel fulfilled once I have achieved what I set out to do. Have I experienced meaning and the feeling of getting to where I hoped I would? I have never felt that feelings are an inexact measure, in fact the opposite is true.
It’s really important to capture your high-level feelings into your purpose plan as they will serve as an energizing reminder of things that inspire and really matter to you. Using key words and visualisation may help create an aspirational picture in your mind of what the future may look and feel like and it will provide the inspiration to keep moving forward. These things can act as general framework within which your intuition can kick-in, vs a detailed line my line list of intentions that could even (for some), mute your intuition.
If I achieved the things I wrote down on a piece of paper without really feeling it, would I find meaning and experience the warm positive feeling of pride, self-worth and fulfilment? Have I enjoyed working towards something or felt passionate in going through the process if I didn’t really feel it too. The answer is probably not. Sure, I’ve met objectives on a page and made certain numbers and been rewarded for it but my personal fulfilment-tank has been empty! On the flip side, achieving some things that I have wanted to achieve for a long time has lifted me up so far that I have felt buoyed for weeks once I have completed them; that is what I consider to be a sign of personal achievement and provides the engagement and motivation to go forward. It is the feeling of reward against my personal values, personal measures of success and a clear knowledge that I have done my best moving towards the impact I want to make.
Some people, myself included, don’t feel particularly inspired and energised by objectives framed as statements or numbers on a page, at worst they can represent additional unwanted pressure and even add to anxiety and self-doubt. For those people with this perspective, the whole principle of being hamstrung by a black and white process with binary objectives lacks feeling and does not necessarily add positively to the impetus of striving to achieve a goal.
How do you set and track goals if you’re not using a detailed written plan?
I’ve adjusted how I think about goal setting, how I keep myself on track and what measures I use for that process. I know when I have met what I set out to do and I am 100% clear on when I have over-achieved. I rely on my own intuition, a huge dose of it, to intrinsically indicate to me when things have gone well. My over-arching goals and personal values, with the requisite amount of colour and detail, are firmly embedded in my mind, not on a sheet of paper. I want to enjoy what I do and who I do it with; I want whatever I do to have meaning; I want to work with other people who have their own set of values that are meaningful to them, build deep long-lasting relationships with them and to know that I am making a difference when I support them.
Intuitive goal and objective setting
Visualisation is a very engaging approach to goal setting and thinking through the steps that will be required to meet them. It is a very effective technique to motivate yourself and other people to focus on and work towards, the future ideal state. It can be used to determine the details required to achieve the desired outcome.
Personally, I have always had a long-term plan of what I want to be doing and how I think I will progress towards it. I have a picture in my mind’s eye of what it looks like and the milestones are that I need to achieve and, critically for me, what it will look and feel like when I have achieved those things and ‘got there’.
There are risks of an approach that places so much emphasis upon intuition, the experience, the meaning and what feeling that you believe you will have, to signal that you have met your goals. There is also less emphasis on data and hard measures. Fairly obviously, intuitive measures seem inexact, they may not be easy for someone else to evaluate and reward. In a corporate setting, using intuition in performance management may be more difficult, it will not mean as much to the manager, who is managing on performance and results through data, as the individual, who may be measuring their experience and feelings. How does a manager evaluate and reward a team member’s use of intuition? – one answer is…with difficulty! However, intuition may still play a role in some objectives being met as a result of an individual using their intuition to make decisions, progress and judge how they feel about the outcome.
Feelings borne out of intuition, are things that I intrinsically have, I know when they are not there and I know when I am not achieving what I want, how I want. These measures are meaningful, they are in my head and in my spirit and demeanor and will show up in my day to day. I know what gives me enjoyment, what is meaningful to me and also when I am making a difference working with people (because they tell me, and if they don’t, I ask them!).
Good feedback is what makes it all worthwhile and I am forever grateful for it when it shows up, my personal feel good factor is crucial as it affirms successful choices that I have made intuitively in accordance with my values. It is that which give me fuel, keeps me on track, helps me evaluate whether I am hitting the ‘performance measures’ that are the most meaningful to me. Each person will have their own and have their own internal success criteria. That’s fine, we’re not all the same with the same drivers, aspirations and goals but intuition has a role to play to add colour to how we approach meeting our goals.
If you’d like to learn more about how to frame up a game-plan and maximize your intuition for 2023, please get in touch.